


Extracurricular

by TobiasHawk1



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-03-19 05:55:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3598920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobiasHawk1/pseuds/TobiasHawk1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glynda Goodwitch finds solace in one of her students. Neptune finds a beautiful soul who loves to teach in his new professor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

On their first day of classes as transfer students at Beacon Academy, Neptune and Sun made it to their last class of the day almost ten minutes early. "Only way to get the best seats," Neptune argued. They took two seats in the third row- not too far or close to the front. It was mid-afternoon and they were already exhausted by these new professors. Dr. Oobleck was so fast, keeping up with him was difficult even if he was just doing role call! Professor Port was more easygoing, but the long-winded way he taught his classes was a little tiring. Last on their list for the day was Professor Goodwitch.

"Goodwitch… isn't that the professor with the riding crop?" Sun had seen her a few times before but was terrible with names.

"No idea. You've been here for months, how don't you know this?" Neptune teased his best friend, still a little bitter that the Faunus had stowed away on a boat to Vale without him or the rest of their team.

"Don't be a baby," Sun smirked and playfully punched Neptune's shoulder. Their back and forth went on almost ten minutes. Neither of them ever realized Professor Goodwitch enter the room with five minutes to spare. She quietly watched the room fill with her new students, nodding to them as they took their seats.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Professor Goodwitch."

Neptune snapped back from his conversation with Sun. Professor Goodwitch was tall, blonde, and commanding, but she held her riding crop loosely between her manicured fingers. She walked with authority and confidence, her stride full of grace as she paced the front of the classroom. His eyes followed her eagerly.

"In this class, we'll be learning about using Dust as a weapon, as well as the history of Dust on the battlefield." Glynda looked around at all of the children in the room. She easily identified the soon-to-be problem students, the A students, and the students that'd beg for extra credit at the last possible moment. Nearly two decades of teaching had sharpened her skills and she could read these children like open books. A bright young girl in the front row who she was sure would fight for every point of her grade. Two boys from Team CRDL who she was certain would withdraw from the class by the end of the week. And an eager-looking, azure-haired exchange student in the third row. The blond boy next to him, with his loose tie and improperly buttoned blazer spelled  **trouble** , but the blue-eyed young man whom he was obviously friends with seemed to be one of the few students alert to the lecture. She paused for just a heartbeat before continuing on her quick survey.

Professor Goodwitch taught her class with an authoritarian rule. So many students walked through her doors each year; she was certain she must've taught a few thousand individual minds by now. Most of them called her "strict" or "uptight" to be assigning classwork on the first day. Say what they might, she was positive she was helping these students the best she could. When it comes to defending oneself and others from Grimm, the quick and appropriate command over Dust was a huge advantage. After teaching for so long, she'd learned to disregard her student's involuntary groans to the announcement of homework or pop quizzes or projects. If a pop quiz was the difference between life and death for any of them, she'll assign thirty. It might've been more work than Dr. Oobleck or her other peers assigned, but she'd invested so much time into teaching her students, she wanted to be sure they retained at least half the information she gave them after they left her class.

"During the Faunus War, Captains Lavernius Tucker and David Washington united both armies under…"

Neptune couldn't help but smile as he took his notes. Professor Goodwitch's voice had a melodic ring to it and he could already tell she had a lot to teach. He scribbled silently into the notepad, weighing each piece of information.

"Are you really taking notes right now? Come on, you know they never teach anything important the first couple of days." Sun was always the class clown but still managed to keep his head above water in terms of grades thanks to Neptune. It normally fell to Sage to calm him down, but, for once, Neptune felt obligated to pull in the reigns.

"Sun, come on. This is a tough class." Neptune quickly hushed his friend and got back to taking notes. He didn't want to leave a bad first impression with this commanding professor.

"Nerd."

"Intellectual!"

.

"I've got her Monday through Friday." Neptune and the rest of team SSSN were checking their schedules at their dorm. Nobody from Haven or the other academies were sure just how long they'd be in Beacon, so selecting classes was the usual dance between required courses and enough electives to slide by on without too much work.

"What?! Dust, I feel sorry for you. She gave us notes, a handout  _and_ homework on the  _first day_ , Scarlet.  _The first day!_  We go to public school!"

"Fucking sucks for you idiots." Scarlet smirked, splitting a candy bar with Sage.

"Thanks for the encouragement, asshole." Sun threw a paper ball at Scarlet's leg. The redhead snatched it out if its path and threw it back at the Faunus in one quick motion, hitting him on the chin.

"Nep, you should probably drop one of the classes if she's such a tough professor. We're exchange students. We should just be coasting by on electives right now." Sage was always clear and level headed.

"Guys, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He didn't want this to turn into a  _talk_  with his team. They'd end up convincing him to drop one of the classes if it did. Both of the classes were necessary to graduate anyway. And if he took them now he wouldn't have to worry about them later on in his education. It made sense.

"Alright. Your funeral. Anyway, you guys have, you all heard about…"

Neptune stopped paying so much attention to the conversation his team was having. Instead, he busied himself with his notes. Each class had its separate section in his binder, but there was only one section with even a speck of ink in it.

.

Professor Goodwitch quickly marked the handouts she'd assigned to her students that day. It was mostly review, with about two questions they wouldn't have known the answer to unless they were paying attention to her lecture. Those two questions were often left blank. Six handouts like this in a row and she let out a heavy sigh.

Teaching was her pride. Her passion. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd imagined teaching a class full of eager-minded young students. Relaying her wealth of knowledge to the younger generation. She'd gone through school an eager and willing student; a sponge, absorbing every ounce of information she could. Even after becoming a teacher she'd worked hard to claim Ozpin's right hand as her own. Holding the school together with regimented discipline while Ozpin worked his magic behind the scenes. Despite all her duties to him and the school, she never forgot her students. And increasingly, she'd began to feel… unappreciated.

"Good evening, Glynda."

Emerald eyes looked up to the tall man in the doorway. It was the General- James. It was James. He smiled at her, a smile she was excessively familiar with and waited for his invitation.

"James." She nodded to him, inviting him in despite her reservations.

His walk was calculated, his uniform pressed, his shoes polished. He was strikingly handsome and the atmosphere he brought into the room mirrored his power and influence. He was so strict and rigid. It was what drove a wedge between them all those years ago. "I was wondering if I might entertain you tonight. I could have a table for two ready-"

"James. I'm grading papers. And I have lectures early tomorrow morning." She was patient with him.

"Right. Of course. My apologies… you do look stunning, tonight."

Another time she might've welcomed his advances, but everything that had attracted her to him so long ago seemed dull now. He was a strong man, but that was all she could say.

"Thank you, James…" She didn't look back up from her papers.

"Have a good night!" James was at her door as he cast a final glance back into her office. He missed her, but he'd forgotten just how long ago he'd lost her. He left the room with a final nod.

Glynda sighed and finally looked up again. She listened to his footsteps fade away into the hallway. Her stomach grumbled as she returned to grading the last of the papers. A pleasant surprise awaited her on the third to last paper.

"All correct? Neptune Vasilias? Hmm. The exchange student?" She tried to remember his face, but his azure hair and blue eyes were the only traits she could remember.  _Someone just bought himself an extra two points on his next exam._


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday morning, Beacon's honorary "dress down" day. Most classes ended by mid-afternoon and the upperclassmen planned their schedules to avoid Friday seminars at all costs. That meant that those few classes that did run, were normally filled with pajama-clad underclassmen with every intention of heading back to sleep once class was over. The teachers weren't very much unlike their students, often wearing the least formal attire they could get away with. However Professor Goodwitch wore a her usual outfit sans cape under an official Beacon Academy hoodie about two sizes too large for her. It was warm, cozy and her favorite shade of green, a welcome source of comfort.

She'd made it to the classroom nearly twenty minutes early and placed a syllabus on each desk. It was chilly in the room, and smelled of ink, parchment and sweat. It was a large teaching space, used for hands-on classes such as this one, providing more space for the larger and more…  _destructive_  students to stretch themselves without hurting others. Or the building.

Professor Goodwitch watched her Aurology class lazily file in to the large room. Some of the students carried mugs of warm coffee or tea. She enjoyed early morning classes-students were a lot more calm and less disruptive. They were also more likely to ask questions and participate for some odd reason she hadn't quite yet understood. Unfortunately they were also a lot more likely to be late. There were still a few empty seats in the class as her watch struck 10:30.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to Aurology. Here you'll learn how use your Aura as both weapon and defense against creatures of Grimm." She took a moment to sip her own tea- Earle Grey with a dash of cinnamon and honey. She looked around again, slightly upset that nearly ten chairs were still empty on the first day of classes.  _Next student to come in-_ The door creaked open and a certain azure-haired young man tried to sneak his way inside. She recognized the color instantly.

"Mr. Vasilias." Her smooth, deliberate voice easily carried to the back of the class.

"Me?" Neptune turned around to face her, caught off guard by his own name. He was wearing gray sweatpants and a dark red, hooded sweatshirt, "Haven Academy, Team SSSN" printed in gold letters on the back. He held a thermos in his left hand and a pad of paper in his right. She could tell he'd  _just_  woken up; from his hair to his clothes, he was a stark contrast to the young man she'd met yesterday.

"Come to the front of the class. You'll be part of our first demonstration." She pulled her chair out from behind her desk and into the middle of the "stage" of the classroom. Neptune nodded and walked to the seat, shooting his infamous smile, wink and two-finger pistol at Blake and Nora as he walked passed them. He left his notepad and thermos on an empty desk in the front row and took the offered seat.

Professor Goodwitch straightened her glasses before taking a sticky-note from the supplies on her desk and posting it on Neptune's forehead. "I would like you to use your Aura as a shield and prevent me from taking the note for as long as possible." It was a simple exercise, one that could be studied by the class and learned from. Her plan was to get the students to identify any mistakes Neptune might make. She'd follow up with instructions and give the class advice on how to best avoid them. Any mistakes he'd make was likely to be common amongst his peers.

"If I stop you entirely can I not be marked late?" He opened an eye and smiled sheepishly at her. A few students in the class laughed. Normally such a comment would earn a student an angry glare and whip from her riding crop. Two of the sophomores even flinched as they waited for the leather to come down on Neptune's shoulder. She considered it for a moment, but her mind went to last night's grades. The young man had bought himself the smallest touch of leniency as the only student to correctly answer all the questions.

"I'll consider it." Challenging Professor Goodwitch to an Aura battle wasn't particularly smart. Aura was a skill the woman had excelled in from an early age. She incorporated it in nearly every aspect of her fighting style and even used it in her day-to-day life. Levitating tables and fixing food-fight destroyed cafeterias required a lot more skill than she let on. However she was serious about using these classes to  _teach_ ; dominating her students would only tire them out and leave them angry or upset. Not eager to learn. Aura battles were exhausting. Two or more individuals would engage one another, trying to overwhelm their opponent with their energy. If it was a physical battle such as this one, poorly cast shields could crack and shatter under the force of a stronger Aura, hurting the caster. Rookie mistakes would be fatal against the unforgivable fangs and claws of Grimm. Professor Goodwitch worked hard to train these student ensuring there wouldn't  _be_  any rookie mistakes, or mistakes of any nature. However she made sure to hold back most of her power during these exercises and use only enough to test them, showing them where they'd need improvement and where they excelled. She was sure that if each student that left her class continued to practice, they'd be able to defend themselves in even the most dire situations. That was all that mattered to her. "If you wish to stop at any time, just speak up and I'll end the exercise."

Neptune nodded before sitting back in the chair, his hands gripped its arms and he took a deep breath. He gathered himself, closing his eyes again and began to concentrate, focusing his Aura the best he could.

Professor Goodwitch collected her own breath and reached for the note. She found his shield about six inches from his skin. Any further and one's Aura would be vulnerable to failure, stretched too thin to be of much protection. Any closer and a blow from a large Grimm would still connect.

Professor Goodwitch pressed forward and the class watched in anticipation. She used her Aura to extend her fingers, shaping it into claws to pierce his shield. His Aura was thick and fluid. Pushing into it was like pushing into viscous molasses. Most students his grade level were unable to personalize their Aura. Normally, a student would've created a strong, hollow shield around themselves, much like the shell of an egg. These beginner barriers used minimal Aura and concentration to create, but were much too fragile against even medium sized Grimm. Using one's personality and quirks to better their mastery over their Aura was an advanced technique  _introduced_  in this class. Mr. Vasilias seemed to have been at least two or three years of training ahead of his classmates.

She concentrated her Aura further, curious as to how experienced Neptune actually was. Pushing down deeper through his defenses proved difficult. She found it choppy on the surface, like waves during a heavy storm, and thicker and more viscous the deeper she pushed. It was obvious he'd had a fair amount of practice early on in his life. She pushed deeper.

Neptune groaned, he could feel her getting closer and closer to her goal. None of his teammates had ever been able to breach his shield, but Professor Goodwitch was making it look  _easy_. She was strong- obviously much stronger than he was- but he wanted to show her just how much he could do. He thought hard-  _there_ has _to be a way to stop her._  An idea popped into his head like a light bulb, but it'd be risky. Neptune concentrated, imagining a powerful current. Warm water rises over cooler water, and he tried make his Aura act as if it were warm water, creating an upward current. Taking a deep breath, he pushed with all his might.

Professor Goodwitch chewed at her lower lip. Never had a student resisted her for so long. His Aura begun to push her  _out_. Students this advanced were few and far between and Professor Goodwitch couldn't help but give a pained smile. He was good, but he still had a lot to learn. With a little bit of effort, she split the current of energy in two, making way for her prying fingers. She snatched the note off his forehead and the demonstration was over.

Neptune opened his eyes, confused. He'd been concentrating so hard on his Aura, he hadn't even felt the note rip off his skin. "Wha-that's it?" Still in shock, he hardly believed the sticky note Professor Goodwitch held between her fingers was the one he'd meant to protect.

"You may return to your seat now." Professor Goodwitch smiled and cleared his path to the desk. Neptune sighed and wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. She looked at her watch. The entire demonstration had lasted nearly seven minutes- she hadn't planned on losing so much time. She kicked her lecture into overdrive. "During the Great War, Medical Officers Frank DuFresne and Emily Grey discovered that Auras can be manipulated while being cast. The skill is difficult to master…"

.

Professor Goodwitch dismissed the class three minutes late. The exhausted students gathered their supplies and trudged out of the room.

"Mr. Vasilias? May I have a word with you?" She spoke up just as he was leaving his seat.

"Oh? Sure, Ms. G. What's up?" Neptune nervously walked back to the professor. He was sure she'd chew him out for being late, among other things.  _Not a good first impression, Neptune._

"That was good work. You exceed your grade level by far." She didn't look angry or disappointed.

Neptune's shoulders dropped and he made a small sigh of relief. "Oh! Nah, it was nothing. Not enough to keep me on time, anyway." He smiled, and crossed his arms. His teeth were pearly white, eyes a deep blue. She looked down into them for a few moments. He was skilled. On the whole, too advanced for this class. However this was an introductory course, mandatory in every academy. There was no way around it without pre-approval from both Haven's  _and_ Beacon's headmasters. However someone of his caliber would be a great teaching assistant. Testing every one of her students would begin to grow exhausting by the middle of the semester. Thirty students of intermediate skill level could whittle away her Aura enough to leave her beyond exhausted by the end of the class, so much so she'd often be too tired to grade papers and exams after lectures. She normally employed the assistance of one or two students in the class to prevent just that. Finding an assistant so early on in the semester was great for her. It'd take a heavy weight off her shoulders, and she felt Neptune may be deserving of the responsibility. "How would you feel about assisting myself and your peers in this class?"

"Sounds cool. What do I have to do?" Neptune wasn't too sure what Professor Goodwitch had in mind, but he knew helping professors was an easy way to get his foot in the door with a lot of jobs and projects. Maybe if he could get into the science labs, he could get to upgrading his weapon…

"You'd help me grade papers and test your peers. It shouldn't be too much work for someone like yourself." She twirled her crop absentmindedly between her fingers. She normally refrained from doing it around students, but with just Neptune in the room, she didn't mind being human.

"Uh… sure, Ms. Goodwitch. Sounds cool."

"Thank you, Mr. Vasilias. I appreciate your assistance. My office hours for this class are 2 pm on Mondays and 6 pm on Wednesdays. Are you available?"

"Yeah. My schedule's pretty open." He ended with a soft yawn, covering his mouth with his hands. "Sorry, Ms. G…"

"Have a good nap, Mr. Vasilias." She nodded at him, letting him know he was dismissed. He took his thermos and made his way back to his dorm. "Make sure you arrive to class on time, Monday."

"Of course!"

As soon as he was out of earshot, she let out her own yawn. If she could get to bed, she could sneak in another hour and a half of sleep before Ozpin called her around 2:30 for a staff meeting. The more sleep she had, the more productive she was, and she was constantly determined to be as productive as possible. She gathered the keys to the room, her clipboard and her empty mug and started walking towards her living quarters.

.

"Put a shirt on, Sun." Neptune smirked, hands up, protecting his face. He dropped his guard for just a moment to wipe sweat off his brow.

"No way. We've got an audience." Sun cackled before executing a perfect spinning back-fist. Neptune just barely ducked under the blow, returning a quick jab to Sun's open underarm.

Saturday mornings was gym day for Team SSSN. However Neptune and Sun had unsurprisingly overslept and made it to the gym just after their teammates had left.  _How do they always wake up so early?_ Neptune was always shocked by this. No matter how late they'd been up the night before, the duo would wake up bright and early. Sun chuckled and wiped some hair from his face.

The two were decent fighters for their age, however their dynamic while sparring seemed as much of a battle as it was a performance. And with Sun's muscles and Neptune's- well, you know- the duo quickly attracted a small crowd of curious girls and guys alike. "Sure you won't be too embarrassed when I win?" Neptune smirked, fists clenched and ready to strike.

"Bring it." Sun leapt with a strong kick that  _just_  connected with Neptune's shoulder, knocking the taller teen back. Neptune quickly turned the uncontrolled slide into a roll, landing on all fours. His Aura had already healed his shoulder when he lunged forward.

Kick, punch, flip-kick, elbow to the jaw. They gathered a larger and larger crowd around them- nearly thirty strong- feeding the flames of their newfound fame.

"You tired yet?" Neptune shook his head, hair flying away from his face, taking a few drops of sweat with them.

"No way! I do this all the time." Sun laughed and dropped his hands. His tail swung loosely behind him, barely touching the ground as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

Neptune timed the bounce perfectly, and only needed a single lapse of concentration to prey upon him. With a deep lunge, he tucked his foot around Sun's and kicked. His foot trapped, the Faunus had nowhere to go but down. He reflexively stuck a hand out, ready to turn the fall into a cartwheel, but Neptune was prepared. Pivoting on his planted foot, he spun, bringing his leg around in a wide sweep, sweeping Sun's hand out from under him. He landed on his chest, the wind knocked out of him. Neptune straddled his friend and wrapped his arm around the blond's neck. He squeezed just a bit as Sun tried to tickle him with his tail. "Quit that! Sun!" He arched away from the fuzzy tail, trying to avoid it as much as he could.

"I'm not doing anything." Sun struggled against Neptune's arms, trying his best to buck his hips and knock his teammate off.

"Tap out!" Neptune squeezed a little tighter.

"Okay, alright!" Sun tapped the ground three times. The match was over. Neptune sighed in relief and slid off his friend. He looked around for the crowd, but the curious onlookers were gone.

"Where'd they go?" Sun glanced to his left and to his right, pretty disappointed. He dusted himself off, grabbing a towel and wiping sweat off his arms and chest.

"No idea. At least no one saw you lose." Neptune found the crowd and quickly realized what'd stolen their interest. "Hey. Is that Professor Goodwitch?" The crowd had gathered around another sparring match. Professor Goodwitch and a green haired professor they didn't know squared off with one another. Neptune moved in for a closer look.

Unlike their own match, the two professor's fight was brutal. The green haired professor was fast, his fists flying at Professor Goodwitch like rockets. Professor Goodwitch kept her fight style swift and precise. She seemed to time each strike before it even happened and blocked accordingly, waiting for an opening in the barrage of fists.

"Go, Dr. Oobleck!"

"Get him Ms. Goodwitch!"

Each student picked a side. It was unlikely they were doing it for recognition in their classes- the two seemed entirely concentrated on the fight at hand.

Goodwitch struck with a quick knee, connecting with Oobleck's gut before following up with an open-palmed thrust. Oobleck recovered almost immediately, grabbing her wrist and spinning around, capturing her in a choke-hold. Professor Goodwitch's face quickly turned red. She had seconds before the fight would be over. Neptune watched, silently cheering on the woman.

A swift stomp and Goodwitch distracted her opponent and grabbed his arm. Instead of trying to tear it off of her, she jumped forward and rolled in midair. The taller man followed, his back slamming into the floor, only to be followed by the woman's shoulder connecting with his gut. Professor Oobleck tapped out. Fight over!

Neptune cheered, along with a fair number of his peers. Professor Goodwitch helped her colleague up before straightening her glasses. She wasn't one to bask in the limelight of a victory and she walked purposefully away from the circle the crowd created, sending the students back to their own sparring matches and workout equipment.

"That was awesome! Oobleck was all pap-pap-pap! And Goodwitch was all fwomp-slam! These professors are awesome. Right, Neptune! Neptune?" Sun realized his friend wasn't with him anymore, and followed the taller boy to the center of the ring the two professors had used. Neptune reached down and picked up something gold. "What is that?"

"Goodwitch's ring. Must've slipped out of her pocket." Neptune stood up and followed the professor's path to the work-out machines.

They searched each cluster of machines before they found the woman on the leg-press machine. Neptune wasn't at all shocked to see the professor pushing nearly a full ton of weight. Her reps were slow, smooth and deliberate. She held the weight for five seconds at the apex of each rep, letting out her breath as slow as was necessary. Neptune chose not to disturb her, instead keeping his eye on the weights.

They counted ten, twenty, forty, forty-six. Neptune held his breath, urging her on with his own will. She grit her teeth, her hands squeezed down tightly around the grips and her legs shook under the great weight. She refused to put it down. Forty-seven. She was like a machine being pushed to its limits. Her body rippled with the effort. Forty-eight. Forty-nine. Neptune held his breath as she pushed the fiftieth rep with what looked like every fiber of her being. Professor Goodwitch set the weight back and locked it in place. She slid off the machine, toweling off her face.

"Hello there Mr. Vasilias. Mr. Wukong. What can I do for you two?" She grabbed a dark purple water bottle with green trims and sucked down at least half the bottle before returning her gaze to the two.

"Oh, Professor Goodwitch. You-"

" _We_ found your ring. Must've dropped it during your sparring match. Show her, Neptune." Sun smiled, interrupting Neptune, draping an arm around his friend.

Neptune sighed and handed her the recovered jewelry.

"Oh, dear. Thank you for returning this." Goodwitch turned the ring over in her fingers for a moment before slipping it on her right hand. "Thank you boys."

"No problem Ms. Goodwitch." Sun nodded and wrapped his tail around his teammate's wrist, dragging him away. Neptune cast a final glance back, the professor was looking down at her ring with a nostalgic look on her face. As if it were an old friend she'd almost lost. He was glad he'd found it.

.

"Textbooks must be ordered, first-aid must be restocked twice over, Dust must be in oversupply! Sir, you can't possibly believe the school is satisfactorily prepared for this many students!" Professor Goodwitch was clearly agitated, but she'd never felt so worked up before. General Ironwood and Headmaster Ozpin had decided to have an impromptu meeting Sunday evening and  _still_ the two hadn't reached a decision on how the miscellaneous costs of  _thousands_  of individual students would be covered.

"Glynda. These matters will resolve themselves before they even become problems. They always do." Ozpin's measured drawl wrapped around the room, smothering her words like a thick, oppressive quilt. It took the bite out of her words, leaving them nothing more than simple worries.

"These students  _are_  the best at what they do. It's in poor faith to assume such a hefty medical cost." General Ironwood cast another glance at her itinerary.  _That figure was on the_ low _end!_

"James!-"

"If there're any smaller matters that must be handled before the year finds it's rhythm-" Ozpin stopped to sip his coffee. The man was always drinking coffee, and somehow he still managed to sound perpetually exhausted when he spoke. "-alert us, and James and I will handle the cost."

Glynda bit her tongue, holding back her frustration. Somehow most of the responsibility had assigned itself to her shoulders  _again_. It wasn't as if she abhorred the extra work- she actually thrived off shouldering these sort of responsibilities. She simply wished the work be recognized for what it was: hard, exhausting work.

"Does that seem fair, Glynda? You  _are_  the most suited to handle these sorts of jobs." Ironwood spoke as if she were some exquisite bird, performing some menial task in a cage. Again, she bit back her sharp retort. Somehow he always managed to surprise her with his crass.  _At least he's persistent._

"Of course, General… will that be all?" Glynda looked to Ozpin, a touch of desperation in her eyes. Should Ozpin dismiss both herself and Ironwood simultaneously, he'd certainly ask her on yet another date. She honestly didn't believe she had the necessary restraint to be polite at the moment.

"Of course, Glynda. James, might I have a word?" Eerily perceptive, Ozpin nodded towards her. Finally-  _finally_ \- she could get some rest after the lengthy weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

1:50, Monday afternoon. Neptune was already outside of Professor Goodwitch's office. He'd bought lunch- a huge sub sandwich and some fruit- before coming and even bought an apple or two for her. He was planning on waiting for her to arrive before he started eating, but as his stomach grumbled, his will wavered.

"Alright, one bite, then I'll wait for her." He looked around before unwrapping the sandwich. Avocado, lettuce, grilled chicken, shredded pepper jack cheese and sweet honey mustard. "… okay. Maybe two bites."

Less than a minute later, Goodwitch was nearing her office. He heard her before he saw her, the regular  _clack-clack_  of her heels against the hard floor pulling his attention away from his lunch.

"Mr. Vasilias." Glynda nodded curtly at him. She took note of all the food he held in his hands.  _I'm going to order more food immediately. These teenagers are bottomless pits._

"Oh! Hey, Professor Goodwitch." Neptune finished swallowing the piece of sandwich he had in his mouth. "So what're we doing today?"

Glynda reached for her keys.  _Supply closet. Auditorium. Dust closet. Ozpin's office. Office._ She held the door open for Neptune as she walked inside. She was slightly peeved- Neptune's sandwich smelled enticing, and she'd missed her opportunity to purchase food before the office hour started. These hours were for teachers to make themselves available for students with questions or concerns for their professor in any particular class. Unfortunately, students hardly- if ever- took advantage of them. That meant long, mandatory, lonely hours spent grading exams.

Neptune nodded quietly, looking around the room. The smells of polished wood, ink, parchment paper and plum air freshener layered over one another and filled the well lit room. Glynda's office was small and well organized. Three filing cabinets on the left wall, three on the right, a large printer and bookshelf by the windows across from the door and a closet on the wall behind him. Her desk was near the far wall, just within reaching distance of the printer. It looked like an older desk, the style of wood carving reminding him of something he'd seen in a 70's high school movie, but its condition screamed new. There were three chairs in front of it, most likely for any students she'd entertain.

"You'll be grading the worksheets and homework I collected today. I must make some calls." She took her seat and set down the thick Manilla folder she held in her arms. "I've already graded your assignments. Good work again, Mr. Vasilias. Perfect scores." She smiled as she opened the folder, producing both of Neptune's papers. They were paper-clipped together on top of the pile of other student's work, dark purple "100%'s" on both sheets. "Use your papers as answer sheets to grade your classmate's. Mark any answer you'd give on the homework as correct." It was a small test. The homework she'd collected had been five short answer questions. She'd check the papers later tonight and check his judgement.

"Thanks professor. Want an apple?" Neptune offered her the fruit, setting it on the desk nearer to her than the destroyed remains if his sandwich.

"Oh… thank you Mr. Vasilias." Her normally stern face softened for just a moment. It was a kind gesture, and the rumbling in her stomach thought the same. She accepted the apple, but set it down in front of her. She'd eat when she was done.

Neptune sat in on of the three chairs in front of her desk. He slid the folder towards him and reached for his own pen before she placed a purple and black fountain pen in front of him.

Glynda watched him until he found his rhythm. She picked up her Scroll and started to dial.  _Food. Textbooks. Medical supplies. Gym equipment._

She started with food. Thousands of hungry teenagers sounded like a dangerous storm to her.

Neptune listened in as he graded. The minutes ticked by, his only soundtrack to the quiet room was Professor Goodwitch's stern, commanding voice as she ordered supplies for the school. Treadmills and free-weights and tons of food. Textbooks and number two pencils and tons of bandages and gauze and nifty little pills called Aura-Plus that helped regenerate Aura quicker. It was as if all of Beacon ran from this one room. This single woman.

He hardly managed not to be distracted from his work.

She finished her final call fifteen minutes before the hour was up. She looked pleased with herself. "Almost done, Mr. Vasilias?"

"Yeah, Professor. Just two left. You should eat the apples, though. One a day keeps the doctor away. And if that doesn't work you can just throw the second one at them." Neptune smiled warmly at her, pushing the fruit towards her. He wasn't sure why, but she just seemed so… drained. It was obvious the work pleased her, but it was as if the return never quite matched up with the loss.

Professor Goodwitch almost smiled.  _Almost._  "Thank you, Mr. Vasilias." She took the fruit and quickly took her first few bites. All the talk of food while she'd placed the orders had reminded her exactly how long ago she'd had her last bite. She was a light eater- one  _must_  be if they wish to remain at optimal performance- and the breakfast salad hadn't been particularly filling.

"That was a cool class today. The way those two generals combined their Aura to save the village? It reminds me of an X-Ray & Vav comic." He finished grading the last test, placing her pen on the desk and leaning back in his chair. It took him a moment before he realized he'd just made a reference to a comic his professor most like had  _no_  idea-

"Quite. Most early comic book heroes and heroines boasted powers which can be explained with hyper-advanced Aura manipulation. Even Edgar and Mogar borrow their ideas from the same, rather uncreative pool." She took another bite of her apple, barely keeping the smirk from painting her face as Neptune floundered as if he'd been slapped.

"You… know about comics?" How? How in the Dust did she know about comics?

"Of course. Most of these characters were born as a direct result of the Color Generation's desire for more expressive forms of art.  _My_  generation." She decided not to tell him she'd been an avid comic collector as a teenager. Decided not to tell him about the hundreds of carefully packaged comic books in her possession she vowed to hand down to any children she might have when she finally settled down.

"So, you know about all of the early comics? That's so cool! I've never been able to get my hands on an actual Golden Age comic! You've probably read some, haven't you!"

"We'll have to discuss comic books at another time, Mr. Vasilias. I have a class in twenty minutes." She took a few papers off the top of Neptune's pile and looked them over. The handwriting he'd used to grade was a touch neater than the handwriting he'd used to answer his questions. Almost as if he'd tried to copy her own looping script. The thought finally made her smile. For just a moment. "Thank you, Mr. Vasilias. If you can return next week-"

"No problem Professor. See you tomorrow." Neptune nodded and grabbed the last half of his sandwich.

She nodded at him in dismissal, quickly checking over a few of the other papers.  _What a nice, young man…_

_._

"She's totally cool, man. She knows about X-Ray and Vav and she runs like half the school-"

"X-Ray and Vav? I'll believe that when I see it. She's gotta be like forty." Sun chuckled and swallowed some popcorn.

"Maybe she has a son?" Sage shrugged, offering the guys more snacks.

"I don't think so, guys. I think she just knows." Neptune shrugged and took another sip of his soda. He wasn't sure how the Professor had known about X-Ray and Vav, but he wasn't sure if he liked his team assuming things about her.

"Holy shit, guys rewind that! Look at this explosion!" Scarlet grabbed the remote and hit rewind, eyes wide as the explosion knocked out four city blocks in slow motion. They were watching some low budget action movie in their room. The lights were dim, the curtains pulled down over their windowa despite it only being mid-afternoon. Welcome to Team SSSN's dorm.

"Scarlet, if you ever get arrested for a bomb, I'm not defending you." Sun chuckled, taking a bite of cotton candy.

"So I just won't get caught." Scarlet winked and hushed them just before another explosion nearly rocked their television.

Neptune sighed and sat back in the couch. The movie wasn't particularly good, and he found his mind wandering in search of entertainment. His memory of the day's class was enough of a distraction. He remembered Professor Goodwitch's smile when a student who'd been struggling to understand some concept finally figured it out. He could tell she took pride in that.

She had a nice smile. Even, white teeth. A glimmer in her emerald eyes. The way she loosened her grip on her crop. She was graceful.

.

"James, I just have too much work to do-"

"Which is why you should take a break. Before you spread yourself too thin, Glynda…" The General's deep voice was soothing to her ears. It was just the meaning of the words that stabbed at her like hundreds of sharp knives.

"I don't have time for this, James. These students are depending on me to ensure this school runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible." This went doubly so this year, with so many students on campus. She refused to show these exchange students anything less than Beacon's shining excellence.

The General sighed before he straightened his back. Always so rigid and official. She almost couldn't believe she'd found him attractive. "Understood."

His even stride carried him quickly out of the room. He left behind a lingering feeling of doubt in the pit of her stomach. This first few weeks of this year were more hectic than most. What if she  _was_  spreading herself too thin?

She didn't even have time to entertain the thought. She had work still left to be done.


	4. Chapter 4

History of Dust class had a few labs, and today was one of them. There'd already been an explosion as people tried to replicate an intermediate Dust reaction discovered by a scientist named Dr. Hilda. Professor Goodwitch had watched as Cardin mixed too much Dust together all too quickly. The students knew they'd be allowed to leave early if they finished quickly, and apparently Mr. Winchester had somewhere he desperately needed to be. It was only a matter of time before he learned the error of impatience, but she'd allow him to learn it on his own terms.

It took less than a minute before his flask flashed bright purple and exploded. "And  _that_ , class, is why we pour using measuring flasks. Mr. Winchester, you'll be responsible for a three page report as to  _why_  adding that much Dust to one reaction caused this explosion." The demand might've been a little harsh, but these students were here to learn. Unfortunately some had to be taught through punishment.

She walked through the rows of desks checking each station's progress. She saved Neptune and Sun's group for last, fully expecting the duo to almost be done given Mr. Vasilias's expertise. However as she finally approached, she stopped in confusion.

"Mr. Vasilias! This isn't the proper formula for this reaction." Neptune seemed to be creating some alternative formula and not what she'd requested of her students. His formula apparently called for nearly six ounces of extremely volatile Dust.

"That's what I told you, Neptune! What the Dust are you doing," Sun asked, looking through his textbook, trying to find the correct formula to get his partner back on track.  
"Professor, check this out! You were just teaching us a couple days ago that even chunks of similar Dust can resonate at different frequencies if enough energy is conducted through it. But if that's true, then that means you can get two different kinds of Dust resonating at the  _same_  frequency too!"

Professor Goodwitch watched as Neptune continued with his experiment. It was one she hadn't even thought to attempt until her third year of studies. It was a highly advanced technique used to stabilize even the most reactive forms of Dust long enough to combine them without damaging their integrity. Powerful forms of Dust could be made through this technique. Neptune had figured it out in less than a month of formal classes.

" _Well, not entirely,_ " she thought. He had the concept right and was even using the proper tools, but his measurements were off. He'd selected a small chunk of Pale Dust to use to transfer the energies required between the two kinds of reactive Dust he'd wanted to combine. The specific chunk he'd selected was too small to handle the stresses of the experiment. She cleared her throat loudly, causing Neptune to look up just before he started the reaction. He smiled sheepishly as Sun used his textbook as a shield. "Professor, I can do this! I-"

"Did you triple check your measurements?"

Neptune looked up at her curiously before looking through each chunk of Dust he'd chosen for the experiment. "Um… I didn't, but… I'm pretty sure I didn't forget anything- oh crap!" Neptune's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "Sun, grab me a bigger chunk of Pale Dust, make sure it's at least five ounces!"

"Dude, you're going to blow us up. All of us." Sun tried in vain to convince his friend to stop his experimentation, but Neptune had the spark of madness in his eyes that came with these kinds of scientific discoveries.

"Not if you get me the Dust," he chuckled.

Sun rolled his eyes before running up to the front of the class. He returned almost a minute later, two different chunks in hand. "I've got a seven ounce and a nine ounce," he stated, placing both on the table in front of Neptune.

Neptune correctly chose the larger of the two and connected it to the proper instruments. He looked up at Professor Goodwitch a final time for confirmation and she couldn't help but smile. Despite the fact that Neptune had surely broken  _several_  rules to acquire the necessary materials to create this experiment, he was  _learning_. He was taking his education into his own hands and challenging himself when the class fell too far behind his curious mind. The entire room had stopped their experiments to stare at what Neptune had created.

" _This must be what Ozpin must feel like,_ " she thought. No concern for the rules so long as progress is achieved and students can learn.

Neptune slipped on his goggles and specialized gloves and started the reaction. An electric hum buzzed through the volatile Dust pieces, causing them to glow brightly. Neptune reached his gloved hands into the reaction. The specific gloves he'd grabbed would allow him to meld the two chunks together without burning off his hands. The professor reached for her own pair of similar gloves. The expensive, purple leather was probably older than Neptune himself, but it still looked less than a month old.

She watched him place his hands on the two chunks of rock and slowly push them together like two chunks of clay. The process would take experience and skill Neptune obviously could not posses- lots of things worked in theory that fell apart in practice. She helped him, taking his hands in her own and showing him the proper technique. They squeezed and pulled and shaped the Dust together, electric sparks going off as the reactions took place. Glynda occasionally looked up into his eyes, seeing wonderstruck, watery blues amazingly focused on the job at hand.

He was enjoying himself.

And so was she.

* * *

"Dude, that was awesome as hell. You got us A's on that assignment  _and_  extra credit on the test. That's fucking great!" Sun laughed excitedly as he and Neptune walked towards their dorm. Professor Goodwitch had dismissed her class almost two minutes late so they could finish their reaction. She seemed so excited when he'd finished, even if it was a relatively simple chunk of Dust.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," he agreed softly.

Sun looked to his friend curiously. Neptune had been pretty subdued since he'd finished his reaction in Professor Goodwitch's class. Almost as if he weren't happy with himself. "Are you okay, man? You don't sound too excited."

"I, uh… I dunno, Sun. I probably would've blown up half the lab if Ms. G hadn't told me to recheck my measurements. I feel like I should give this to her…" He held up the chunk of Dust and finally took the time out to examine it closely. It was expertly made thanks to the Professor's help- a dark purple rock flecked with veins of azure and gave off a greenish sheen in the light. Suddenly it all made sense now why some Dust was more popular over other, similar pieces: different combinations could have hundreds of different effects.

"I dunno, Neptune. You're kinda beating yourself up over this. Didn't you hear the Professor? We weren't even supposed to have figured that out on our own for another few years. And you  _made_  the damn thing." Sun chuckled and patted his friend on the back. Knowing Neptune, his blue haired teammate would fuss about this until he fixed it himself.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." Neptune nodded to himself before pulling away from Sun. He turned on his heel and started making his way back towards the classroom.

"I thought I was right," Sun called out to him. Neptune waved back to his friend, not even bothering to turn around. Sun sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, feeling blatantly ignored. "Nerd."

* * *

"What say you, Glynda? An evening on the boardwalk would suit you. When was the last time you took a break?" The General held out his hand, knowing he'd enticed the professor he'd loved so long ago.

He'd caught her after her last class of the day, during one of her rare lulls where she didn't have a single errand to run. She'd been smiling to herself when he entered her office- catching her in a good mood always made convincing her easier.

"I don't know, James… I…" She didn't have a reason  _not_  to go. The handsome General proposed quite a deal and she hadn't been out on a formal date in Dust knows how long.

"Come on, Glynda, be reasonable. Just  _one_  drink?" James laughed softly and reached out further, fully expecting her to take his hand. He  _knew_  Glynda. One glass of red wine would lead to six and suddenly she'd be enchanted by his every word. She knew this about herself as well, but Dust if she could just give herself one day to have some meaningless adult entertainment with her handsome ex…

"Hey! Professor Goodwi- whoa. Um… oops."

Both adults turned to the doorway, eyes locked on the teen. Seeing Neptune, the events from earlier flooded her mind. The memory of Neptune's creation was fresh in her mind, and her love for her students superseded any date with the General. "Mr. Vasilias! Come in, come in!" Glynda waved Neptune into her office, gratefulness in her voice.

"No, it's okay, it can wait, I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"Nonsense, Mr. Vasilias. The General was just on his way." Glynda shot her would-be suitor an uncompromising look, eyes stern as she waved her student inside.

General Ironwood sighed and stood up, not even bothering to acknowledge Neptune's extended hand. "Another time, then," he nodded to her, then walked out of the office.

"What is it, Mr. Vasilias," she asked, the beginnings of a smile on her face. She'd just dodged a bullet and she was grateful for the young man in front of her.

"Well, I was thinking, I'm not really good at  _using_  Dust anyway. I mean, my weapon does, but I couldn't get as much use out of this piece as someone more skilled than me could. Someone like you…" Neptune placed the purple rock on her wooden desk. "I want you to have it."

"Mr. Vasilias…?" The blonde professor picked up the chunk of Dust and examined it closely. She couldn't believe this young man could be so in tune with her. She would've never asked for this piece directly, but as soon as she'd allowed Neptune to leave with it, her heart had filled with a pang of loss. This was one of her greatest successes as a teacher- watching a student years ahead of his time discover something so new and nearly  _master_  the advanced technique during one of her own classes! She'd wanted to keep the piece on a shelf of souvenirs she'd acquired throughout her years of teaching, but Neptune deserved it so much more. But here he was, offering it to her as if he'd  _known_. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, Professor. You deserve it, honestly. I probably would've destroyed half the lab without your help anyway," he laughed, watching her face light up as she accepted the piece.

"Half? Do you honestly believe I have such dull reflexes Mr. Vasilias? I'm  _insulted_." Neptune almost apologized before he realized the Professor was  _joking_. "An explosion like that wouldn't have gotten more than five feet without my intervention." Professor Goodwitch smiled, her eyes crinkling in their corners.

"I dunno. I can be pretty destructive. Especially working with Sun." Neptune smiled as the professor  _laughed_  at his little joke. She really, truly  _laughed_. Eyes closed, head back and hand over her chest, Professor Goodwitch looked like a model posing in a magazine. She looked  _beautiful_.

"And how  _is_  Mr. Wukong doing," she finally asked as she got her breath back. "Hopefully he's trying to pull his grades up. He's pulling a C average from what I remember."

"Oh, that sounds like Sun. He normally coasts by until the last months of class, then does some extra work to pick his grade up- I probably shouldn't have told you that." Neptune smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, realizing he'd just ratted out his best friend.

"Hmm… tell you what. Make sure he doesn't miss a homework and pulls up his next test grade to a B- and I'll overlook this conversation." She fixed her glasses and looked Neptune in the eye, making sure he'd understand she was serious.

"No problem, professor. Sorry I interrupted you and General Ironwood." Neptune looked back out the door, almost expecting the General to still be waiting for him to leave. He felt terrible for interrupting whatever he'd walked in on.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Vasilias. To be honest, I'm grateful you did. I have some…  _history_  with the general I'd rather keep buried in the past. However that  _does_ clear my schedule for this evening…" The professor sighed softly to herself. She hated nights with no work to be done. They reminded her of her ridiculously sparse social life.

"Free? You've always got something to do, Ms. G." Neptune took his usual seat in front of her desk, finally making himself comfortable in the warm room.

"Not today, unfortunately. My only errands are to catch up on some reading or polish my desk…" Glynda ran her hands over the wood, tracing the grain with her fingertips.

"I can do that for you if you want. And you can read." Neptune sat up in his seat, hoping she'd take his offer. He really just wanted to help her, and being around her for just a bit longer might get him at least a few extra credit points, or a discussion about next week's lectures.

"Mr. Vasilias, that's hardly necessary." She couldn't help but smile at Neptune's refreshing eagerness to help her with her errands.

"Don't worry, Professor Goodwitch. I don't mind." Neptune ran his fingers through his hair and hoped he didn't sound like  _too_  much of a kiss-ass.

" _Scarlet would give me so much shit right now_ ," he thought.

"Hmm. Thank you, Mr. Vasilias… and please, call me Glynda while we're not in class." That was a courtesy she only extended to her alums, but she trusted Neptune.

"Only if you promise to call me 'Neptune.'"

"Deal… Neptune." She rather liked his given name. It reminded her of the far away, icy blue planet. It reminded her of late summer nights long ago spent using her telescope to search the only black sky for the bright streaks of comets as they zipped passed Remnant. And it also reminded her of the deep ocean. Of fun-filled vacations just a few years ago when she'd swim with hundreds of curious, hungry fish. And of loud, powerful storms that locked Valeans in their homes as water flooded through the streets and wind pounded at their walls. She was lost in the memory of slaying her first Goliath during one of those hurricanes- the beasts always grew bold as the storms came, knowing they'd weaken the kingdom's defenses and catch the citizens off guard, if only for a night.

"Thanks." Neptune's voice pulled her back into the present and she quickly gathered the supplies he'd need to polish her desk. He started with the front, polishing what would be visible to any new visitors she might have. "So what book are you reading," he asked curiously as he worked.

"Professor Peach recommended it to me a while ago, but I haven't yet had the time to even get through the first few pages. It's called 'Fifty Shades of Grey.'"

Neptune almost knocked over the chunk of Dust he'd worked so hard on.

" _Oh god. No one told her…"_


	5. Chapter 5

Comets that passed through the debris cloud of Remnant's shattered moon were few and far between, but these rare events signaled new beginnings for all kingdoms. The comets illuminated the scattered pieces of the moon as their tails passed through the cloud, creating thousands of new constellations in the sky for as long as their orbit allowed. Thousands of legends originated from such events, always weaving tales of the births of heroes and banishment of great evil. They were scientifically called illunanations, but each kingdom and village had their own name for the events.

"Can anyone name the last time an illunanation event occurred? Yes! Miss Belladonna!"

"At the conclusion of the Faunus War. Most historians agree the wars might not have ended without further bloodshed had the comet not come. It gave commanders Doyle and Kimball the courage to lay down their weapons and search for peace." Blake's voice was always stronger whenever she was talking about Faunus history. It was almost imperceptible, but Neptune had been around her for long enough to catch the subtle change.

"Perfect answer if I do say so myself, Miss Belladonna. And can anyone tell me what scientists believe to be event which followed the first illunanation? Anyone?" Dr. Oobleck sped across the room, not spilling a drop of his coffee along the way. He was searching his students for any look of recognition. He saw a hand slowly rise above the heads of his fellow students not a moment too soon.

"Mr. Vasilias! What say you?"

"Well, common belief is that the first illunanation coincided with the first humans. But modern scientists agree that the moon hadn't been shattered yet, so there's no way that could've been the first. In which case the first ever had to be a few hundred years after that, around the time humanity first discovered how to use Dust against the Grimm." Neptune remembered reading about the discovery in a newspaper years ago. Most people still refused to believe that an illumination event hadn't preceded humanity's first steps on Remnant and the concept went against the teachings of nearly every religion.

"Perfect, Mr. Vasilias. And can anybody tell me  _why_  the class focus is on illunanation events today? Miss Schnee?"

"Astronomers have detected a rather large comet heading for Remnant. It's in a course that would direct it through the debris cloud. Early observations state that the comet might even be made of Dust." Weiss's matter-of-fact tone earned a quick smile and nod out of Neptune. The heiress blushed, color filling her pale cheeks as she smiled back at the boy.

"Fantastic, Miss Schnee. Finally, can anyone tell me the implications of a comet made entirely of Dust passing through our atmosphere and interacting with our moon?" The bespectacled professor watched and waited as his class tried to answer his question. It wasn't something he'd taught yet, but it was something he was curious to see what his students might think. Unfortunately no one had an answer.

"Well students, this looks like an excellent topic to write our research paper on!" The collective sigh spread throughout the classroom like wildfire. "Please collect a handout from my desk before you leave and I'll see you all tomorrow night at 7pm on the roof of the West Tower! Have a good day!"

Neptune shrugged as he grabbed a handout, reading off the list of requirements for their new assignment. The thought of an entire comet of Dust interacting with Remnant and it's moon was amazing, but a five page research essay on a subject he wasn't too familiar with wasn't exactly that great.

* * *

"Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the illunanation parade tomorrow night? I've reserved-"

"James… you know I can't leave campus for something as trivial as a festival." Glynda sighed softly as she took inventory of the food and drink available. In less than a week, the students had put a massive dent in their stores, and they were already running dangerously low on potato chips and energy drinks.

"Glynda…" The general gently touched her Scroll, forcing her emerald eyes to look up from the digital screen and meet his own. His voice was soft and soothing, which put caught her off guard. It wasn't often the general showed his softer side, even around her.

"Glynda… you need a break. You've hardly slept in three days... You  _need_  to rest. And you used to love stargazing. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event." Ironwood's hand gently caressed her cheek, and she couldn't help but relax at the familiar touch. His words were persuasive, tempting her with an activity she'd enjoyed since she was a little girl. The blonde looked him over for the first time that night, taking in his strong jaw, high cheekbones and sharp eyes. The knot in his tie was impressive, years of practice with dexterous fingers could probably tie the same knot in the dark. But as much as she would like to accompany him just for  _one_  night, she knew she had other duties to attend to. She sighed, resignedly and shook her head.

"James… I  _can't_. As much as I would like to… I can't leave the castle for so long. It wouldn't be fair to the students." Every word was sincere, even if she was more conflicted about this decision than nearly any other she'd made in her life. It was hard to say no to someone who knew her so well. To someone who had understood her as intimately as he did.

"I understand… but please, Glynda… get some rest." The general sympathetically stroked the pad of his thumb against the apple of her cheek. He leaned in close, old habits leading him closer to her soft lips-

"James." The professor slipped her Scroll in the thin space between their mouths, blocking him from moving another centimeter.

"My apologies, Glynda." He dusted off his lapels, nodded, and backed away, leaving her to her errands. She waited until he'd left before resuming her work taking inventory, but the thought of the almost-kiss itched at the back mind, distracting her. She'd recounted the cans of ravioli three times before finally deciding to estimate to the closest dozen.

"I think he might be right. I might need a night to relax after all…" Glynda groaned softly and took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms until large, white circles popped into existence behind her lids. Minutes ticked by and all she could do was breathe until she finally came back to her senses.

She looked around the room, doing her best to remember how many cases of soda and boxes of fruit they'd had last week. They were already running dangerously low on bananas, carrots and cans of tuna fish.

"Miss Scarlatina won't be pleased if we run out of carrots before her next away mission," she sighed under her breath. She decided to forgo a small break and got back to taking inventory. Slender fingers slid open her Scroll and she immediately checked off "undersupplied" after glancing at the current supply of bacon.

"I don't even know why I bother to check the bacon," she grumbled to herself as she moved on to the poultry.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Vasilias." Glynda closed the distance between herself and her office with a brisk, even pace, her black heels clacking against the floor. Her cape billowed out behind her, catching the wind and making her look strong and powerful.

"No worries, Professor. I just need to give you a head's up though, I need to be at-"

"The West Tower by 7pm sharp," she finished, a tired smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. She swiped herself into her office using her Scroll and held the door open for her student.

"Yeah." Neptune slowly made his way inside the office. It was a bit messier than it had been last week, dozens of papers in messy stacks covering her desk. The trash looked like it hadn't been thrown out all week.

"I apologize for the mess. This week's been a little... hectic." The professor let out an exhausted sigh as she sunk into her chair. She pursed her lips just looking at all the papers that needed grading. Even with Neptune's help, this would be a late night and early morning's worth of work.

"Are you sure you're okay, Professor? I mean… I don't think you're the kind of person who likes being late to anything. Or letting work pile up." Neptune sat in his usual chair, already reaching for the first stack of papers.

"Your concern is appreciated Mr. Vasilias-"

"Neptune," he reminded her. He liked the way his name rung through small room whenever she said it. The gentle lilt in her voice made him smile whenever she referred to him with the smallest ounce of informality. It made him feel special, as if his presence was helpful to her.

"Neptune… I've just been a little overworked is all." She studied him as he turned over the papers in his gloved hands, his deep blue eyes scanning over answers as if he'd had years of experience. He had a habit of only marking wrong answers, which saved time, but the seasoned professor had learned that marking correct answers could help with a student's self esteem when needed the most.

" _This isn't a C. This is twelve wrong answers. Shoot for only ten on the next exam and you'll get a B, I promise._ " That same student had then gone on to be valedictorian of her graduating class and one of the most well known Huntresses in Vale.

"Professor-"

"Glynda," she reminded him curtly as she reached for her own stack of papers. She had work to do and Neptune's sentiments weren't exactly helping her. She looked up, surprised as his hand came down to gently touch her wrist.

"Glynda…? Maybe you should rest for a bit? At least until I leave for the illunanation. You're more efficient at working with at least an hour of sleep, right?" Neptune tried his hardest to appeal to her. In the short time that he'd known her, he'd become acutely aware of how much of a workaholic she was. At the very least, sleeping would help her work more.

Glynda was pulled back into the previous night, remembering the General's gentle command to get some more rest. It seemed more genuine coming from a student, especially a student as respectable as Neptune. And work  _would_  be getting done during her reprieve. She considered his words for a long while, her mind weighing the pros and cons of getting an hour of rest. She looked down at the first paper on the stack, Neptune's name written in script that was already becoming familiar to her. Every answer he'd circled was correct. Every single one… Slowly, she looked back up from the paper and met his pleading gaze. As if he were all but  _begging_.

"Wake me up as  _soon_  as you're ready to leave, Neptune," she sighed resignedly.

"Thanks, Prof- uh, Glynda! I promise you won't regret this." Neptune shot her a quick smile, one he only reserved for special occasions before getting back to work.

" _Thank you, Mr. Vasilias,_ " she whispered under her breath. She removed her glasses, leaving them on the polished, oak desk, leaned back into her chair and shut her eyes. Listening to Neptune's gentle breathing and the soft scribble of pen on paper, she wasn't exactly sure when she'd finally fallen asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Professor? Professor Glynda?"

Glynda yawned loudly, wiping a small streak of drool from her chin before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She couldn't remember where she was or how long she'd been asleep, but the realization that the voice that'd woken her up belonged to a student quickly snapped her back to her senses.

"Oh! Mr. Vasilias… it's seven already," she asked tiredly. She stretched her arms out to her sides, arching her back like a tired cat.

"A quarter to. I just wanted to let you know I'm almost ready to go. And I uh… I made you…" Neptune shrugged softly, gesturing down to the desk. Confused by his uncharacteristic wariness, the professor reached for her glasses and slipped them onto her face as quickly as she could before looking at what he'd gestured to.

" _Mr. Vasilias_ ," she hissed loudly. Right in front of her, Neptune had placed a plate of spaghetti and meatballs and had even poured her a small glass of red wine.

"Where did you-  _how_  did you- did you finish grading?" Glynda's mind cycled through every question she had for him before finally focusing on the most important one.

"Well, Professor, I got through almost half of everything on your desk and filed it away for you." Neptune tugged at the collar of his sweater helplessly, not sure what the professor was thinking.

" _Half_ ," she nearly screamed in shock. The woman stood up in one swift movement, pushing her chair back against the wall. Brisk, even strides carried her across the room to the open filing cabinet.

"I- I would've done more, but your stomach was growling while you were asleep and I… I don't know, I thought you might be hungry when you woke up." Neptune tried his hardest to control his wavering voice, positive he was in  _deep_  trouble.

" _You fucked up big time, buddy,_ " he thought to himself.

The professor quickly searched for the folder of recently graded work. Neptune had marked all answers as correct or incorrect, and even wrote helpful feedback on the short-response questions. Nearly half of the work she'd scheduled the entire night to do had been completed in less than an hour. The thought was akin to floating on a cloud, unburdened by stress or responsibility.

"Mr. Vasilias…"

Neptune tried hard to swallow the lump of anxiety that'd formed in his throat. Excuse after apology filled his head as he tried to piece one together that would even begin to explain how he'd screwed up so terribly.

"Thank you…"

"Oh?" Neptune couldn't think when she finally looked up from his work. Her smile lit up the room like a spotlight. Her eyes crinkled at their edges, the corners of her lips pulled upwards in glee. Years melted from her face like hot candle wax.

" _She's… wow_ ," the words repeated themselves over and over again in his head, leaving no room for other thoughts as he watched her smile finally fade away.

"And where did you find the time to make me pasta? How did you know…?" Glynda walked back over to the desk, astounded by how quickly Neptune had put together a full plate of pasta in less than an hour.

"Don't worry about it Professor. I just had a hunch you might like it." Neptune turned his eyes to the floor, trying hard not to stare as she admired the plate of food. She lifted the plastic fork off the paper plate and brought a forkful of the pasta to her mouth.

"Mr. Vasilias… who taught you how to cook," she asked curiously. He'd made vodka sauce seemingly from scratch and the pasta seemed to have been cooked in herb water. Ingredients she definitely didn't have in the small office.

"My mom. But, uh, Professor-"

"Please, Neptune. Please call me Glynda," she reminded him quickly, bringing another forkful to her mouth.

"Sorry, Glynda. But, um… well, I've gotta go  _now_  and I know you've still got a ton of work to do, but… um… the illunanation is tonight and I'd really like for you to see it. You know, in Mistral we call it the luna regenerationis. It means-"

"The moon of rebirth," she finished. She'd set her fork down to listen to him, giving him her full attention. She'd  _never_  expected to receive this kind of care and hospitality from a student. Especially not from a student who wasn't in danger of failing.

"Yeah, and, well… I think it might mean something to you. You know… rebirth. New beginnings…" Neptune fidgeted with the buckles to the leather straps on his forearms, hoping she'd say yes. It was hard not to worry about the professor, especially now. The smallest act of kindness had produced the most genuinely happy smile he'd seen in a long time. She  _needed_  a night just for herself.

"Plus, you know, even if I leave  _now_  I'll still probably be late. So… I'm gonna need you to at least walk me there." He smirked sheepishly just as the woman closed her eyes and let out a huge sigh.

"Fine, Neptune… but only if you answer me one last question. And answer it honestly." She adjusted the glasses on her face, letting the light in the room strike them to produce a quick glare. It was just one of the skills she'd picked up to let her students know she meant business.

"Yeah, anything. What's up?" Neptune was nearly bouncing as he stood, waiting for the question so he could lead her out of the messy office and into the fresh night air.

"Where  _exactly_  did you get this wine from?"

"... oh…"

* * *

Neptune smiled as he watched Professor Goodwitch mingle with the other professors on the rooftop. He was sitting a decent length away from her, camped out with a telescope with the rest of his team. She looked ecstatic as she spoke to Professors Oobleck, Port and Peach, smiling as she unbelievingly waved away one of Professor Port's tales of victory.

"Dude, are you sure you're pointing it directly at the moon? We can't even be an inch off or we'll miss the-"

"Sun. C'mon. You think I'd mess up this kind of math," he asked playfully.

"Good point," Sun responded quickly. "Thanks for being a nerd, I guess," the Faunus quickly peeled the third banana of the hour and took a huge bite out of the soft fruit.

"You're going to kill yourself with those," Scarlet said roughly.

"I need them for energy! I don't see  _you_  flaunting these kinds of abs," the blond rebutted, pulling his already open shirt apart just a bit more so his team and the girls surrounding their station could get a quick glance at what he was most proud of.

"Some of us like to keep the ladies guessing, Goku," the redhead responded. Neptune and Sage immediately stepped away from the telescope.

"Call me Goku one more time, I swear on your life, Scarlet-"

"Goku, Goku Go-  _ah!_ "

"So I'll be over at Team RWBY's telescope. That'll probably blow up in the next eight minutes given their track record but it's probably better than here." Neptune quickly waved to his teammates and walked the short distance to Team RWBY's station. They'd designed their own telescope, allowing Ruby to paint their insignias on the side of it.

"Hey, Neptune," Weiss said softly.

"Snow Angel," he responded smoothly. He knew just how easily those pet-names made her heart melt, and he loved seeing her with her guard down.

"What's up, Neptune? The thing's about to start." Yang said softly, grabbing another handful of popcorn and shoving it into her mouth.

"I know. The sun is blocking our view though," he replied, sitting down in between Ruby and Weiss.

"The sun? It's almost eight o clock, what do you mean-" Blake tapped her partner quickly on the shoulder and gestured over to the ongoing scuffle between Sun and Scarlet. They'd attracted Team CRDL and JNPR's attention, Pyrrha, Jaune and Ren trying desperately to separate the two teenagers while Nora joined in with CRDL at egging them on.

"Oh, you mean- that's pretty funny," Ruby giggled loudly.

"Speaking of being blocked, check out Headmaster Ozpin cockblocking General Ironwood." Yang gestured towards the older men talking by the railing of the roof.

The grey-haired headmaster stood between his professor and the general. It was clear by her body language that Professor Goodwitch really did  _not_  want to be there, but the general wasn't understanding. Headmaster Ozpin tried to occupy him with more smooth discussion, but somehow the general would always manage to drag Glynda back into the conversation. Neptune scowled at the drama unfolding in front of the entire student body. He couldn't believe General Ironwood would be so immature. Would  _embarrass_  Professor Goodwitch in front of all of her students like this. He looked to Team RWBY's telescope and quickly kicked it over.

" _Neptune_ ," Weiss shrieked in shock.

"Dude, what the Dust," Yang growled angrily.

"I'll be  _right_  back, give me two minutes!" Neptune jogged over to the professors, hoping he wouldn't be too late to get Professor Goodwitch away from the General.

* * *

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" The entire school counted down as the giant comet made its way towards the moon. It's path would send it through the debris cloud, then skating along Remnant's upper atmosphere before it continued along its path to the sun. Everyone was either looking straight up at the shattered moon, or down at the computer screen connecting to their telescopes. Team RWBY counted down with two extra members.

"Six! Five! Four!" Professor Goodwitch's emerald eyes were trained directly at the comet overhead, watching as the large chunk of rock punched through the cloud of scattered debris.

"Three! Two! One!"

The tail of the comet finally entered the cloud and, for the first time in nearly a century, the shattered pieces of the moon shone brighter than any star in the sky. Thousands of bright, white lights flickered on, dozens at a time as the tail touched more and more of the floating rocks. Students laughed and screamed and cheered and got away with several suspendable accounts of PDA as fireworks from Vale's Illunanation Festival light the night sky, desperately trying to compete with the spectacle occurring a few thousand miles overhead.

Glynda looked to Neptune and couldn't help but smile. In less than a month, he'd quickly become her favorite student. The look on his face was priceless, conveying so much wonder and joy at the scientific marvel happening before them. The comet collided with one of the larger pieces of the moon, causing incredible explosions of purples and blues that were quickly followed by bright yellows that faded until deep greens.

"So I guess the comet really is made out of Dust," Neptune said in awe, watching as rainbows of color exploded to life along the path of the comet.

"Mr. Vasilias…" Glynda said softly, hating to interrupt his stargazing.

"Yeah, Prof?" Neptune peeled his eyes away from the comet for a moment, catching the next few explosions of colors reflected through emerald eyes.

"I just wanted to thank you. For getting me out here and for-"

"Don't worry about it, Professor. It's the least I could do." Neptune looked back up at the night sky just in time to see a dark black explosion mix with a flash of yellow. The two clouds of Dust interacted with each other, causing a flickering explosion of energy that seemed to vibrate like a hive of bumblebees. Her mind wandered back to Vale, and the amount of fun the citizens must be having at the festival. She realized just how much she would've enjoyed being down there than anywhere  _near_  the drunken General.

"Neptune?" Her voice was softer now, not wanting to catch the attention of Team RWBY as they watched the event.

"Yeah?" Neptune's eyes flicked from the sky to her, watching her curiously.

"Would you like to accompany me to the Festival?"

"That sounds awesome," he responded. The smile that crossed his face could've melted a mountain, and his pearly white teeth caught the lilac glare of the next explosion, reflecting it into a very similar shade of purple. The Professor smiled back, suddenly feeling  _very_  maternal towards the azure-haired young man.


End file.
